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TAX REFORM COMMISSION

Philadelphia’s Tax Reform Commission was originally established in 2002. At that time, it was comprised of community and business leaders, as well as representatives from local chambers of commerce, higher education institutions, and trade organizations.  

 

The commission’s goal at that time was to recommend methods to reduce taxes for Philadelphia residents, workers, and businesses. Their final report was issued in 2003.  In February 2024, City Council approved Resolution #240108, sponsored by Council President Johnson, to reconvene Philadelphia’s Tax Reform Commission.  

 

The Tax Reform Commission is tasked with conducting a comprehensive review and analysis of all taxes imposed in Philadelphia, including those imposed by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, and to ultimately provide recommendations regarding tax reforms.  

 

Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker and Council President Kenyatta Johnson each appointed four members of the commission, with one appointed by City Controller Christy Brady, and six by the various local chambers of commerce. 

MEMBERS

Review the members of Philadelphia’s Tax Reform Commission

Richard Vague (Co-Chair) (Council appointment) 

Richard Vague is a businessman and venture capitalist who served as the Secretary of Banking and Securities for the commonwealth of Pennsylvania from 2020 to 2023. Vague has authored a handful of books, most recently The Paradox of Debt. Vague holds various board positions, including serving on Penn’s Board of Trustees, Penn Medicine’s board, the Fund for the School District of Philadelphia and as the chair of the University of Pennsylvania Press. 

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Matt Stitt (Co-Chair) (Mayor appointment) 

Matt Stitt works at PFM Group Consulting LLC as the managing director and national lead for equitable recovery and strategic financial initiatives for their Management and Budget consulting team. In this role he works with public sector leaders to plan structural changes, budget reforms and financial planning. Prior to his current role, Stitt served as the chief financial officer for the City Council of Philadelphia, where he led the annual review of the city’s multi-billion-dollar budget and strategic plans.

 

Paul Levy (Council appointment) 

Paul Levy was the Founding President and Chief Executive officer of Center City District, serving in that role from 1991 to 2023. Paul also taught City and Urban Planning for various educational institutions, including the University of Pennsylvania, Temple University, and Columbia University.  

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Jovan Goldstein (Council appointment) 

Jovan Goldstein founded JTGoldstein in 2011 and now serves as managing partner where he oversees the assurance, audit, and tax departments. Goldstein also serves as CFO of Philanthropi, a platform that makes online giving more accessible. Goldstein was elected chair of the African-American Chamber of Commerce in 2022. 

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Ryan Boyer (Council appointment) 

Ryan Boyer is the business manager for the Philadelphia Building and Construction Trades Council, a coalition of over 50 unions working in Philadelphia’s building and construction trades. From 2015 to 2021, Boyer served as Board Chair of the Board of Commissioners that oversees the operations of the Delaware River Port Authority.  

 

Folasade (Sade) Olanipekun-Lewis (Mayor appointment) 

Sade Olanipekun-Lewis is currently the Vice President of Operating and Community Partnerships at Vantage Airport Group. She previously served as Chief Administration Officer for the Philadelphia International Airport, and prior to that as Chief Financial Officer for the City of Philadelphia. Previously, Sade served as Deputy Commerce Director for Finance and Administration for the City of Philadelphia and served as Chief Financial Officer for the School District of Philadelphia.  

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Jerry Sweeney (Mayor appointment) 

Jerry Sweeney has served as President, Chief Executive Officer and Trustee of Brandywine Reality Trust since the company was founded in 1994. Before his current role, Sweeney was Vice President of LCOR Incorporated. Sweeney is currently the chair of the Schuylkill River Development Corporation, the Center City District Foundation, the King of Prussia Rail Coalition Advisory Committee, and the Philadelphia Regional Port Authority.  

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Greg Segall (Mayor appointment) 

Greg Segall is the Chairman and CEO of Versa Capital. Segall’s expertise is in distressed and “special situations” investing, in addition to strategy and performance improvement, business management and governance, corporate finance, and capital markets. Prior to Versa, Segall was a Managing Director at Sigoloff & Associates, Inc.. Segall is a board member of Philadelphia Gas Works and Co-Shair of the Mayor’s Business Roundatables.  

 

Allan Domb (City Controller appointment) 

Allan Domb is a former At-Large City Councilmember, candidate for mayor, and currently serves as the Broker and Owner of Allan Domb Real Estate. As a council member, Domb advocated for reductions to the business and wage taxes to help workers and small businesses. Domb currently serves as a board member for Committee of Seventy, Starr Restaurant Group, the Friends of Rittenhouse, and six various condominium associations.  

Jennifer Karpchuk for The Chamber of Commerce for Greater Philadelphia 

Jennifer Karpchuk is Chair of Chamberlain Hrdlicka’s State and Local Tax practice and she has more than a decade of experience representing people and companies in cases relating to taxation.  Karpchuk currently serves as the Secretary and Treasurer of the Philadelphia Bar Association’s Tax Section and Local Tax Committee. She is also an appointed member of the Philadelphia Bar Association’s Tax Council.  

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Derek Green for the African American Chamber of Commerce of Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware 

Derek Green currently serves as Special Counsel for Bellevue Strategies. Prior to this role, Green served as an at-large member of Philadelphia City Council from 2015 to 2022. In that time, he chaired the Committees on Finance and Disabilities and served as the Vice Chair of the Committees on Aging and Law and Government. Additionally, Green served as the Chair of the Philadelphia Gas Commission, President of the Democratic Municipal Officials, and President of the Pennsylvania Municipal League. He also served on the Boards of the Philadelphia Cultural Fund and the National Black Caucus of Local Elected Officials and the Executive Committees of the Democratic National Committee and the National League of Cities.  

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Victor Garrido for the Greater Philadelphia Hispanic Chamber of Commerce 

Victor Garrido is a founder and Managing Member of GG CPA Services. Garrido’s background includes nearly 7.5 years at Price Waterhouse Cooper in a variety of roles in Europe and the United States. He has also worked for Lincoln Financial Group and serves as a Partner at Brian C. Greenberg & Associates, LLC. Garrido specializes in financial services entities. 

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Daniel McElhatton for the Greater Northeast Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce 

Daniel McElhatton currently leads the Law offices of Daniel P. McElhatton, a general practice firm specializing in litigation. McElhatton previously served as a Philadelphia Assistant District Attorney and then a member of City Council in the 90’s. McElhatton is also a founding member of the Philadelphia Board of Ethics. 

 

Dr. Khine Arthur for the Asian American Chamber of Commerce of Greater Philadelphia 

Dr. Khine Arthur served as President and CEO of the Asian American Chamber of Commerce of Greater Philadelphia from October 2021 to October 2023, and after a short leave, is now back in her leadership role. Dr. Arthur has a long history of entrepreneurship and community work. In 2016, Khine founded a skincare company that works to support women who had survived domestic violence and sex trafficking. 

 

Zach Wilcha for the Independence Business Alliance 

Zach Wilcha is the first Chief Executive Officer of the Independence Business Alliance, which serves as the LGBTQ+ Chamber of Commerce for Greater Philadelphia. In this role, Wilcha has led the effort to the grow the IBA’s membership and board and increase its diversity. Wilcha joined the IBA in 2015 as the organization’s Executive Director.  

MYTHS & FACTS

Some Myths and Facts about reducing BIRT and Wage

MYTH

Lowering BIRT and Wage taxes will result in less money for the city budget. 

FACT

By lowering BIRT and Wage taxes, we help grow the businesses that already call our city home, and we encourage new businesses to set down roots in our city, both of which would provide a larger return on investment than if we keep taxes at their current rate.

MYTH

Lowering BIRT and Wage is just a way to give tax breaks to big corporations. 

FACT

Lowering BIRT and Wage taxes provides the most benefit to local businesses, giving them an increased ability to grow, hire more employees, and expand our tax pool. For many national corporations who have offices in Philadelphia, they already avoid paying BIRT by implementing accounting practices that ensure they don’t make a profit in Philadelphia. 

MYTH

Lowering these taxes by small fractions of a percent won’t really help businesses. 

FACT

Philadelphia’s BIRT includes a tax on both gross receipts and net income, which is significantly higher than the average rates in other cities. The dual taxation on gross receipts and net income makes it difficult for Philadelphia-based businesses to compete with those in neighboring regions with lower tax burdens. 

Other Things to Know

 

  • Fact: The high tax rates can lead to reduced investment in the city, as businesses may prefer to invest in regions with more favorable tax environments.
     

  • Fact: The Wage Tax, which accounts for a significant portion of the city’s revenue, is sensitive to employment levels. High unemployment or remote work trends can lead to substantial revenue losses for the city. 
     

  • Fact: High BIRT rates deter new businesses from setting up in Philadelphia, as they face higher operational costs compared to other cities. 
     

  • Fact: BIRT and Wage taxes disproportionately impact smaller businesses by adding an administrative burden that can be costly and time-consuming. Small businesses often lack the resources to absorb the additional costs or navigate the complex tax requirements.

RESOURCES

What is the Tax Reform Commission?

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Getting Informed  

  • On August 7th, 2024, Pew Charitable Trusts held a virtual panel discussion to examine the prospects of tax reform for Philadelphia. Read more or watch the full panel discussion here. 

  • Committee of Seventy is a 120-year-old good government and pro-democracy nonprofit dedicated to informing voters, holding elected officials accountable, and ensuring free, fair, safe, and secure elections. Explore their variety of educational resources here. You can also use their interactive voter guide, which helps walk you through what your ballot will look like, or use their tools to find your elected officials and polling places. 

  • The Philadelphia City Commissioners are a bipartisan group of elected officials tasked with overseeing our city’s elections and voter registration processes. As such they also provide valuable information and resources to voters about elections, polling places, city government, and more. Take a look at the resources they have here. 

RECENT RELEVANT PRESS

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